Fixing the Broken
by Keito Stone
Summary: Ren Suzugamori and his sister Ryoko are the sole survivors of the Suzugamori family. With his sister's heart health and his love life on the line, Ren has the choice of a lifetime in his hands. His sister, or the love of his life. Just something to annoy AllyToshiki-Suzugamori with cause she started Broken Smile. I felt the need to be annoying
1. The Destoryed

_So this is a response to AllyToshiki-Suzugamori's story "Broken Smile". I don't know why, but I just felt the urge to do this and be annoying to my friend. ;3_

* * *

Blinking in surprise at the duo outside next door, a crimson haired teen peaked out of the kitchen window of the house she shared with her brother. Ryoko Suzugamori - or Ryo as her friends called her - paused mid stir, her brow creasing as she watched an elder woman and a melancholy girl about her age exit a small car that was partially hidden behind the bush that seemed to eat the fence. She'd hadn't seen much of their neighbours, even long after they had moved in. All she knew was that is was a girl and her grandmother. Leaning over the counter a little more, Ryoko carefully pulled the curtain back to get a better look at their reclusive neighbours.

" 'Youko?" Squeaking in surprise, Ryoko spun around, holding a hand over her heart, glaring at her brother as he leaned casually against the counter next to her. Growling at Ren, Ryoko snarled at him, waving the spoon she had been using the check the rice as a weapon. She growled even more as she saw her brother's cocky smirk. Her's robe had opened to show off her nightdress and her scars from the emergency heart surgery from when she was younger.

"What's your problem?! Are you trying to take more years off of my life?!" Laughing, Ren raised his arms up in mock defence as his sister began to hit him with her weapon of choice, smiling as she did so. He knew that he should have said something to her instead of popping up behind her like he did, but sometimes he couldn't resist. Sometimes he just needed to scare her out of her wits, regardless of what the doctors said. Sometimes, you needed to let go and have fun, Ren knew that better then anyone with his ever busy 'job' as the reigning champion of the current trending card game Card Fight Vanguard as well as taking care of his younger sister and her doctor appointments. He remembered how hard it had been at first, right after they had started out on their own, their parents and grandparents dying in a crash when Ren was just a few months shy of sixteen and Ryoko was only fourteen.

He remembered when the paramedics had rushed her off, her head and upper chest bleeding bad, her crying in pain and fright as the nurses grabbed Ren, forcing him to stay back as she was carted off. He still remembered her shrieks for him, knowing that calling out for their parents would have been a useless effort. She had woken up next to the corpse of their mother, Ren outside of the car, telling her not to move and if anything hurt and where.

_"Ryo! Ryoko! Answer me Ryoko!"_

_Opening her red eyes, Ryoko groaned and coughed, inhaling fumes from the leaking gas tank of their crushed car. Her chest felt like it was on fire, and it was painfully hard to breath, each inhale felling like she was swallowing fire. Her head felt heavy, much too heavy fr her neck to support as it lolled to the right._

_Only, she wished it hadn't._

_Looking at her from within the wreckage, was their mother's corpse._

_Shrieking in terror, Ryoko tried to move away from the body only to scream in agony as her own injuries caught up to her brain. A hand was gripping her left hand, and she could hear her brother's voice. Swallowing, she let the hand on her jaw softly turn her head to face Ren, his matching red hair and eyes boring into hers as she started to panic, her breathing hitching and becoming shallow._

_"Shh... I'm right here Ryo. Don't move. I've called for an ambulance okay? You're going to be okay." Ren knew he was lying through his teeth. He could see that his sister was never going to be the same as she was before this accident. He could see the cuts on her face that would no doubt leave scars. Her neck was lucky to only have a bruise from the awkward positioning of her seatbelt. Her chest had deep cuts all over it, her school uniform mangled and stained bright red. Her left arm was trapped under a piece of the roof of their mother's car and the front bumper of the other person's SUV. It was definitely broken, Ren had heard it snap when the roof had caved in._

_Ren knew that he had a few cuts on his own body, but they were minor and could easily be covered by clothing. There was on near his hairline which no one would think much of, if they ever saw it under his mass of red hair._

_"Aniki... Okaa-san.. Otou-san.. They're... They're...!" Leaning into the car, Ren carefully cradled his sister's head in the crook of his neck as he cautiously reached over to steady her left arm so that she wouldn't damage it any more than it already was._

_"Don't think about Imōto. If you need to think of anything, think about your deck or about as many strategies as you can." Closing his eyes, Ren listened to the operator over his bluetooth, the woman on the other end congratulating him on keeping calm and that the paramedics were almost to them. He knew that something was wrong when their father had allowed Ryoko to sit in the front. He never let either of them sit upfront if he was with them._

His smile dropped when Ryoko started to cough deeply, bringing her hands up to her mouth, dropping the spoon in the process, quickly bringing him out of him memory of that specific day. Her red eyes were wide before they started to fill with tears. He could see her swaying as she tried to find something to steady herself on, each choked cough coming harder and sharper than the last.

Grabbing his sister, Ren quickly laid her down on the floor, on her side for just in case. Swallowing nervously, Ren grabbed the phone off of its cradle and knelt down next to Ryoko, grabbing her left hand and squeezing it as he called the paramedics. Biting his lip, Ren looked down at Ryoko, worry hiding in his eyes as he tried not to panic his sister any more.

"They're coming Ryo. Don't worry. Nothings gonna hurt you anymore."

If only he knew the truth and how full of shit those words were.


	2. The Mending

_Surprisingly, Ally has agreed to let me continue this, and that they may become one. YUSH! This is why I let this stupid urge come over me when it came to this!_

* * *

"God damn it Suzugamori! How many times have I told you, YOU CANNOT SCARE OR STARTLE YOUR SISTER!" Wincing at the shrieking doctor, Ren bowed his head in shame, flinching every time her voice rose ever so slightly. He had heard this lecture before, in a much calmer tone and a lot less winded from the same woman.

The heart specialist that had chosen to take over his sister's medical visits back when they were having trouble getting onto their feet after the death of their entire family was a small slip of a woman with greying raven hair and brilliant blue eyes. She was shorter than Ren by half a foot, but she could make him back down and want to hide when she was at her worst. She never gave them her name, only saying the they could call her by her nickname from when she was in college, Ratchet (_AN, Yes, I had to. I love Ratchet, in all the different Generations of Transformers. The only medic - besides Knockout - whose name I will use in the weirdest of places out of love!_). It was weird, calling her that, especially when they called it over the intercom. The nurses had this silly smirk on their faces when he or Ryoko said who they was looking for.

"Are you listening to me Suzugamori?!" Flinching at her screech, Ren nodded furiously, inching back slowly as she advanced on him, stepping closer with her burning eyes. Holy crap, she was a lot scarier then he remembered!

"Y-Yes Miss. Ratchet!" Whimpering in fright, Ren ignored the fact that he was almost a grown man cowering from a slip of a woman. He was sure that if she was a politician, she would have her way every time, be it with her words and wits, or with her fists. Actually, now that he thought about it, she said she had dabbled in politics for a little while, mostly for better funding for the hospitals and medical research.

If her smirk was supposed to make him feel better or terrified, he wasn't sure. But when it turned into a soft smile, Ren felt himself relax. He would live to see his seventeenth birthday. For now.

"Heh. All right, you suffered through that and managed to still have a voice in you? Go see your sister, runt." Frowning, Ren was about to protest at being called a runt until it registered what she said. He could see his sister. She wasn't in ICU or worse, dead.

Running down the hall, Ren opened the door to the room his sister was always in when she had to stay at the hospital for any given amount of time. Looking up from the magazine that she had been given by Miss. Ratchet earlier, Ryoko smiled at Ren, chuckling at her brother's frazzled expression. Putting the magazine down, Ryoko laughed as Ren dashed over and clung to her, hugging her tight enough to make breathing a slight problem.

Patting her brother on the back, Ryoko smiled and laughed lightly as he began to mutter to himself, shaking as he clung to her tighter. She'll admit that what had happened had scared her, but it was over with, and she knew how to prevent it easily. She was given a medication to take when she was released, so that should help as well.

"Now now, she's not _THAT_ scary Aniki." Giggling at the horrified look she received for Ren, Ryoko smiled as she messed up her brother's long hair before starting to braid it. It was going to be a while before he would let her go anyway, so she might as well do as she pleased until he did.

"Did I really scare him that bad, Ryo-chan?" Looking up from her brother's hair, Ryoko smiled at Ratchet, nodding as she tied the end of the braid off. Smoothing a bit of his shorter locks down, Ryoko smiled at the elder woman leaning against the door frame, smiling softly at the scene before her. Never before had she seen a brother and sister so dedicated to each other. Prehaps they were worthy of what she could give them since the allowance that she had started for them when she noticed that neither of them had jobs outside of Ren entering and winning Vanguard tournaments for the prize money for them to live off of was not being abused.

"You always do when you yell at him like that Miss. Ratchet." Shaking her head, bringing herself back to the present, Ratchet smiled and walked over to the siblings before looking at the time.

"All right you two. Time for you to go home Ren, you've got school tomorrow. Ryoko, you need to get to bed. We'll see about releasing you tomorrow if nothing pops up in your tests okay?" Sighing, Ryoko pouted as Ren slowly got up from his position on the bed. Neither of them really liked having to be separated for long periods of time, since Ryoko knew that Ratchet wasn't going to let her go to school tomorrow and won't released her until her brother comes back to the hospital either. Of course, she wouldn't see him until after Ratchet informed him of any new developments that might happen and if Ryoko wasn't up to telling him herself.

"See you after school Aniki." Smiling softly at his sister, Ren leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead before gently pushing her down into the pillows. While he knew that they were both a little old to be doing such things, it brought both of them comfort. Tucking her into the bed, Ren brushed Ryoko's wild locks from her face like he used to when they were younger.

"I'll see you after school tomorrow. I'll bring home your school work and the notes of what you missed okay?" Smiling, Ren pressed one last kiss to her cheek before letting her press a kiss to his cheek. Standing up, Ren waved good-bye as he closed to door softly behind him.

"Get some rest Imōto."

* * *

"You two certainly do care a lot for each other." Looking up from his lap, Ren blinked in surprise when he realized that Ratchet was talking to him. For a moment, he just blanked out completely. She had never tried to start a conversation with him. She didn't seem to mind the laps of silence, since she said nothing about it.

"I guess you could say that. Doesn't mean we don't have our own little spats here and there, but we're all that we've got." Looking out the window of the car, Ren tried to not shudder in horror and fright as he watched the other cars pass them or when they went under a bridge. Being in a vehicle would always remind him of _that_ day, which is why he always took his mp3 player with him on field trips, the few that they had, and when he had to travel for tournaments.

Glancing over at the red haired teen in her passenger seat, Ratchet smiled softly when she saw his white fingered grip on the door handle. She figured that he had a fear of vehicles, a fear he shared with his sister no doubt. Pulling up to the Suzugamori ancestral home, Ratchet put her car into park but didn't unlock the doors. Looking over at the doctor, Ren sucked on the inside of his cheek. Something was wrong, her expression gave it away.

"Ren... Your sister, her health is declining much faster than it should be." Looking at Ratchet in surprise, Ren opened his mouth a few times but nothing came out. Swallowing nervously, he opened his mouth again and managed to form a coherent sentence.

"Wh-what do you mean that her health is declining? She looked fine!" Snarling at the doctor, Ren growled as she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"On the outside, she's the picture of health, especially after what the two of you have been through. But internally, I'm worried that some of her organs are starting to shut down." Looking over at Ren, who was still snarling at her but looked extremely worried and terrified, Ratchet frowned as she delivered the news.

"We're running tests for everything, and she's got a few x-rays tomorrow while you're in school. I'm sure she'll surprise us and have an amazing recovery like last time, but I wanted you to know now for in case something does appear." Nodding, Ren swallowed as he tried to digest everything that was just thrown at him. Looking at Ratchet, Ren nodded, silently telling her that he was prepared for anything, even if he hoped that it wouldn't happen. Ratchet decided to change the topic before she left him alone.

"Ren, have your headaches gotten any worse?" Sighing, Ren shook his head, already knowing that she would ask that. He knew that he should control his Psyqualia better, but so far, it had helped him and his sister in staying alive. He used to get the worst possible headaches but they had tampered off after he began to play Vanguard. He hoped that they would never come back.

"No. I haven't had them in a long time. Now, the only headaches I get are from studying too much." Chuckling, Ratchet unlocked the door to the car, shooing the redhead out of her car, making sure that he got in the house before she pulled away. One last round and she would be off. She would probably just crash in one of the empty beds at the hospital if she was too tired.

* * *

Watching at Ratchet left, Ren frowned to himself as he sat in the darkness of the Suzugamori home.

Something was definitely different about that woman, he could sense it.

Sighing, Ren forced the thoughts from his mind, making his way up to his room. He knew that something like this could happen, both of them did. Ryoko was aware that surgery couldn't fix everything, that she was lucky to have only gotten the injuries that she did in the crash.

Ren often wondered if one or both of their parents had Psyqualia, because they were the ones to die, yet they seemed to have known that something was wrong to have both Ryoko and himself on the passenger side.

Walking to his room, Ren looked fondly at the pictures of everyone in the Suzugamori clan was still alive. Pausing at his sister's door, Ren sighed to himself as he looked around the room of what looked like a fourteen year olds' room. He wished that he could provide enough for them to have more than just the basic necessities for the both of them.

Looking at her desk, Ren frowned when he saw that his sister's school books were pushed off to the side.

She was the more studious then he was, her desk was always covered in textbooks or other projects that she did to keep herself busy. He spent more time asking her to make her desk a little bit more recognisable as a desk rather than just a mass of paper work or such a mess.

It wasn't a mess this time though. Everything was organised and put away and only three things were on the glass. A Deck box, a folded matt under it, and a face down Vanguard card.

Frowning, Ren picked up the card. Pressing his lips together, Ren felt his hand shake as he looked at the back of the card. Ryoko had never expressed an interest in any card games, let alone Vanguard. Flipping the card over, Ren furrowed his brow when he saw the character.

_Ha ha, got you Ren. Nice try, as if I would let you see my Vanguard deck. I'm going to duel you yet, and you can't know what my deck is until then!_

_Love you Aniki._

_~Ryoko_

Laughing, Ren put the card back down, already knowing that the deck box was filled with similar blank cards. Ah, well, he should have seen that coming.

Glancing at the clock, Ren left to his room, and to drop face first into his mass of pillows that he dared to say covered the head of a bed. School and all the lovely surprises that comes with it would greet him nice and early in the morning.

And he had a Vanguard duel to win against Ally tomorrow.


	3. The Loved

_Okay, so, this story has taken over my priorities for some reason, so don't be surprised if I update this often._

* * *

"Up up up. Wake up, Suzugamori." Yawning, Ryoko blinked and rubbed her eyes, the curtains opened and the sun glaring in. Stretching, Ryoko glared at her visitor as he leaned against the chair next to her bed. She should have known that he would come here when he saw that she wasn't there. He was the only guy that she knew who would skip out on school and risk getting in trouble to come and make sure she was all right.

"Shut up Toshiki. What are you doing here? There's school today." Chuckling, the brunette sat down on the bed and messed up Ryoko's hair. Whining, Ryoko batted the hand away from her head, pouting when Kai laughed at her expression. He always knew which buttons to push that would make her expressions change with just the simplest of things.

"Lets see, go to school and worry about my girlfriend all day, or come here and hang out with my girlfriend until her brother comes to take her home." Laughing, Ryoko pulled herself into an upright position, ignoring the remote that would have just put the head of the bed into a sitting position. Glancing at the remote, Kai looked at Ryoko and how she winced when she moved.

"You're going to hurt yourself Yoko." Huffing, Ryoko slide back down, already knowing that Kai was going to make her do so whether she wanted to or not. Ruffling her hair again, Kai looked over as the door opened to let the nurse on duty enter.

"Ms. Suzugamori, you know that you shouldn't be moving like that. Do I need to go get Ms. Ratchet?" Grimacing at the threat, Ryoko slide back down to her former position, grumbling as the nurse raised the bed to a sitting position. All the nurses were warned that if she tried anything that she wasn't to that they were to get Ratchet.

"No ma'am..." Smiling, the nurse placed breakfast down for Ryoko before patting her on the head and leaving. Smirking, Kai chuckled as his girlfriend growled lowly at him, pulling the rolling table closer for her to eat.

The look he received in return only made him out right laugh. It was a cross between a glare and a pout and it was so fucking _adorable_. Pulling his bag over from the chair next to him, Kai dug through the it to the bottom of the bag before pulling out a small box.

"Yoko-koi." Pushing the table away, Ryoko gave Kai a questioning look, confused as to what it was that Kai was holding. Turning to face him, Ryoko took the box offered to her, frowning as she turned it over and over.

"What is it?" Moving from the chair, Kai sat down next to his girlfriend and set the box upright in her hands. Pulling her back to lean on him, Kai whispered in her ear.

"Happy anniversary, Ryoko. Open it." Blushing dark enough to match her hair, Ryoko carefully tore open the wrapping paper, making sure to keep the box upright. Staring at the deep red deck box, Ryoko slowly opened the lid.

"I know you haven't found your avatar yet and she reminded me of you." Wrapping his arms around her waist, Kai placed his chin on on Ryoko's shoulder, pulling her closer to him and he listened to the objects in the box shift as Ryoko turned the box over to empty it into her hand.

The first to fall out was Kai's class ring.

Staring at the large gold ring, Ryoko felt her face flush to a bright cherry red. Opening her mouth in protest, Ryoko turned to stare at Kai, holding the ring up.

"B-but Toshiki! This means so much to you!" Smiling, Kai took the ring from her, slipping it over her left ring finger.

"And you mean very much to me, Ryoko. I want you to keep this, as a reminder of how much I treasure you." Kissing her neck, Kai pulled Ryoko closer, into his lap as she tilted her head back to look at him, the top of her head resting comfortably on his chest.

Smiling, Ryoko reached up to her neck, unhooking the necklace the hung there. It was a simple gold chain and pendant that hung comfortably below the collar bone. The chain was her grandmothers, and the pendant was a gift from her grandfather; a custom made mini golden Vanguard card.

Hooking it around Kai's neck, Ryoko smiled at the shocked expression. Kai knew that this was the last gift she had ever received from her grandparents, and the fact that she was giving it to him meant the world to him. It was humbling how much they cared for each other, especially given that they had just given each other gifts that were the last things they had received from a dead relative.

Smiling, Kai stole a kiss before motioning to the box.

"There's something else in there as well." Chuckling at Kai, Ryoko looked back into the deck box and pulled the card out.

It was a common card, nothing shiny or truly special about it at all. Smiling, Ryoko read the description then read aloud the text the character was supposed to be saying.

" 'Do you dare to test the sharpness of my seven star sword?' huh?" Giggling, Ryoko turned and presses a kiss on Kai's jaw, smiling as he nuzzled her head.

"When I saw her, I knew that she had to be yours. She fit you so perfectly." Smiling, Ryoko leaned over and reached into her bag that was laying on the chair next to Kai's school bag.

"I'll put the **Dark Goddess, Kali **in with my Narukami deck to keep her safe. which reminds me..." Laying back against her boyfriend, Ryoko smirked at Kai.

"You owe me a Vanguard duel soon." Chuckling, Kai shook his head.

"Only you would be dead set on duelling me. All right, I give. I'll duel you after I meet up with your brother for Team Asteroid's meeting tomorrow, deal?" Smiling, Ryoko squeezed Kai's hand.

"I'll hold you to it."


	4. The Honest Pt 1 of 3

_Chapter 4~ yes, I am avoiding everything that has remotely anything to do with papers. and I LIVE OFF OF REVIEWS! PLEASE! FEED MY MUSES!_

* * *

Smiling at her brother, Ryoko patted him on the head as she grabbed her keys from the bowl on the table. He had come home all sweaty and depressed last night. He was tight lipped about it, even when she threatened to deny him dinner.

"Feel any better today Aniki?" Shaking his head, Ren sighed, cushioning his head with his arms, staring off at the far wall of the dining room. Frowning, Ryoko placed her keys and bag down before sitting down on the chair next to him.

"Aniki, did you even touch what I made for breakfast?" Looking past Ren's head to the dishes she had put down near him this morning, Ryoko sighed before shoving her brother out of his chair.

Ren just flopped onto the floor, not really doing much to stop his decent except for catching himself before his head hit the tile floor.

"What the-! Ren!" Running to the other side of the chair, Ryoko grabbed Ren's head and began to look for any injuries. Relaxing when she saw no new cuts, Ryoko sighed before slapping her brother.

"Yoko! What the fuck?!" Rubbing his cheek, Ren sat up, staring at his sister in shock and surprise. He didn't know his sister could hit that hard. Or at all really. He really needed to see what her grade level was doing in gym. Rubbing his cheek, Ren wished that the stinging would go away quickly because it really hurt. He hoped that it didn't leave a mark.

"You done zoning out and being depressed?! If not, I'm going to take this card and burn it!" In her hand was CEO Amaterosu, a card that Ren had been planning to give to Ally. Scrambling up, Ren moved to take the card back from Ryoko.

Only, Ryoko wasn't going to have any of that. Standing up, she snatched up her bag and keys, holding the card up tauntingly out of Ren's reach.

"Nope! You can't have this until you promise me that you're going to take care of yourself and not zone out for hours on end." Sliding her shoes on, Ryoko held the card out to Ren, but every time he moved to take it, she would snatch is back, out or his reach.

"Promise me Ren!" Frowning when he still refused to say anything, Ryoko pulled out a lighter from her pocket. Lighting it, she held the card just barely out of the flame, glaring at her brother. "Promise me!"

"Yes! I fucking _Promise_! YES! Just give it back!" Smiling, Ryoko cut the fuel to the lighter and held the card out, which Ren promptly snatched back and checked it over for any damage.

Frowning when she saw the depression begin to seep back into her brother, Ryoko slipped her shoes off before stepping back up to be level with her brother. She knew something happened yesterday, probably with his new girlfriend she had yet to meet.

"Aniki? What's wrong?" Looking up from the card, Ren sighed, depression dragging his shoulders down again. He should have known better than to hide anything from his sister.

"I... I think I made a terrible mistake Imōto..." Furrowing her brow, Ryoko tilted her head in confusion. Her brother never aid that he made a terrible mistake. A _mistake_, yes, but not a _terrible_ one.

"I broke a promise to Alliena-chan." Alliena? As in, their next door neighbor Alliena? That was something new. She didn't really think that Ren would like her, but maybe there was something about her that just seemed to attract them to one another.

"Well, I'm guessing that this had to do with something special right?" A nod. Okay, a step in the right direction, that was good.

"Did she tell you that you couldn't say anything about it anyone else?" Oh god, he was going to cry, she could see it and he was starting to sniff.

"I only told Tetsu and Kai about her parents... I thought they should know." Oh no, she could see the tears in his eyes.

"I-I didn't mean to upset her..." Frowning, Ryoko rubbed her temples in frustration. Only her brother would be that dense. Only her brother could possibly be that dense.

"You're an idiot Ren." Oh wow, Ryoko didn't think she had ever seen her brother so upset and distraught before. Perhaps that was not the best thing to say at this time...

"I didn't mean to hurt her all right! At least act like you care Imōto!" Ren took off down the hall and up the stairs to his room, slamming and locking the door behind him. He was really upset this time; he had never actually run away from her when they argued. Perhaps she went a little too far this time.

Sighing, Ryoko followed her brother's hasty retreat up to his room, dropping her keys and bag over the end of the banister. Might as well finish this argument now rather than later or else she may come home and be the only Suzugamori left.

"Aniki?" Knocking on the door, Ryoko waited for an answer, leaning against the door and waiting for an answer. Frowning when she heard nothing, Ryoko sighed, standing up and pounding on the door.

"Oi! Aniki! Open up or I'll break the door down!" She heard something move on the other side of the door. Hopefully she didn't have to live up to the threat.

"Go away Yoko!" Growling, Ryoko yelled back at her brother.

"Fuck no you idiot!" She knew that she was sounding more like an American teenager, but her brother just got on her nerves sometimes.

"I know that you're going to do something stupid! You're not the only one with the special powers in the family!" She was growling by the end, she was so angry. Her brother thought he was all that sometimes.

"Just leave me alone! Alley-chan hates me and I can't stand it!" She could hear Ren moving about, pacing as he answered her. By now he had probably placed CEO Amaterosu down. Sighing, Ryoko pushed herself off of the door frame.

"Okay, I am coming in!" Forcing the door open with a screwdriver that she kept handy, Ryoko closed the door behind her softly, waiting for a reaction, anything really. But he just stared at the wall, away from her. So she waited.

Thing was, he didn't say anything.

Snarling, Ryoko stalked over to the other side of the room, planting herself in front for Ren.

"All right! Get yourself off your sorry ass and talk to me!" Ren looked up at her, frowning as he did so.

"No. Leave me alone, okay? I may lose the girl I know that will help me." Frowning, she furrowed her brow in confusion. She was so confused now. What is it that this girl had that she couldn't give to Ren? She had been there much longer, though she was trying not to be possessive. But he was still her older brother and she had to look out for him just as much as he looked out for her.

"What are you talking about? What is going on Aniki?!" Now she was really confused. What was he babbling on about? He wasn't making any sense anymore!

"I told Kai and Tetsu that Alliena's parents were murdered at the meeting yesterday and I swore to her that I wouldn't! And then she ran off; she won't even answer my phone calls!" Ah, so he was still on this. Well, at least she could help here.

"... Well, wouldn't you be pissed if I went telling people that you own girly pink pajamas " That got her a weird look. Huh, she knew that they were his, because they were in with his laundry.

"I don't wear girly pink pj's." His face was warped into a spinning pool of confusion. Okay, good, she wasn't the only one who was lost.

"... Ren, they're sticking out of your drawer, and I washed them. You own pink, girly pajamas." Okay, and now he's blushing. What did he do?

"They aren't mine." Her eyebrows raised at that.

"Then whose are they?" Oh, he just turned a darker shade of red.

"A... Alliena Suzuki's. I took them from her room." And this just became extremely awkward.

"... Oh my god. My Aniki is a pervert." Oh yes, this was extremely awkward now, especially after voicing that.

"No I am not!" There when all his blood to his face. Ren matched his hair now, it was a little hard to tell where his hair started and his face ended.

"Yes you are! You took her pajamas, you pervert!" My god, he was trying to deny it now! He really was a pervert!

"At least Kai didn't steal my Pj's! I left them at his house!"

"Wait you what!" Opps, he wasn't supposed to know about that. Ryoko could feel the blush rising over her face at an alarming rate.

"Uhh... I... uh.. Nothing!" Oh god, she needed to do something before he realizes she was dating someone and never told him. Especially since her boyfriend was his _best friend_.

"Never mind about that! You still don't take someone's pj's like that!" God save there, Suzugamori. Now just hope that your brother was dense enough not to notice.

"Ryo! She put them in my bag!" What the..?

"She... what?" Now she was really confused.

"She didn't mean to but she did." Huh, maybe Alliena wouldn't be too angry if she explained then. She could still feel a little of her blush on her face, but it was going down.

"Well... Do you want to go and return them?" Perhaps she could get Ren to do it himself.

"No... She doesn't want to see me, and what do you mean Kai has you pj's?" Damn, looks like your brother was a little more perceptive than you thought!

"Er..." Oh no, she could feel the blush coming back full force!

"N-nothing!" Crap! She was so busted; she could see the look in her brother's eyes!

"Ryo? Tell me!" Wincing, Ryoko snarled and growled back at her brother, not even bothering to think as she shrieked back at him.

"He's my boyfriend!" In the back of her mind, Ryoko knew that she should shut up and that she should do it now.

"There! I said it, happy?!" Looking at her brother, Ryoko stared at her brother's hunched form, her anger dropping and fizzling out. Oh no, what did she just do?!

When Ren abruptly stood up, Ryoko flinched unconsciously, waiting for her brother to lash out at her. She had stepped way over the boundary.

"Don't you have school?" Staring after her brother's retreating back, Ryoko blinked in shock for a few moments before his words caught up with her. It was Saturday, there was no school. Turning around, she followed him out of his room and into the hallway.

"It's Saturday, Ren!"

When Ren turned around with blazing eyes, Ryoko took an unconscious step back.

"How could you not tell me?! Kai is my best friend!" Oh yes, he was _pissed_. Looking away, Ryoko sighed and crossed her arms under her breasts, hugging herself.

"Because I knew that you'd over react like you're doing right now!" She was starting to cry, a few tears falling down her cheeks.

"I'm not five any more Aniki!" Ren rounded on her, his eyes burning crimson orbs.

"You are still my little sister! My Imōto! You should have told me!" He stood almost over her, like he was trying to hide her in his shadow from the world. Maybe he _was_ trying to hide her from the world. Swallowing nervously, Ryoko pulled her arms in closer, hugging herself tighter. She didn't want to have this argument now.

"You're already too stressed over this upcoming tournament! I couldn't do that to you! Especially not after what Ms. Ratchet told you!" Looking up into her brother's crimson eyes defiantly, Ryoko could see the hurt that came to be because of her words.

"... Don't bring that up." She could see the dark cloud forming over Ren's head.

"Aniki... Every time I went to tell you, you were always so stressed or happy about something that I didn't want to upset you..." Growling up at Ren, she glared up at him.

"And why not!? She wouldn't tell me and it's my body!" She wanted to be in the loop. It was her right to know damn it!

"Well I am not happy now Yoko! I may lose my girlfriend and it wasn't anything bad!" He was still upset over the fact that she hadn't told him about her and Kai. Too bad she wasn't thinking about that right now.

"I want to know if I'm going to die tomorrow!" Sniffing, Ryoko looked up at her brother, fear dancing through her eyes. She was terrified.

"You aren't." He sounded so calm. How could he sound so calm! She started to hiccup, her crying catching up to her.

"How do you know!?" Sniffing and hiccupping, Ryoko bowed her head forward, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to die and leave Ren on his own. She didn't know if she was afraid of leaving her brother alone or of what would happen after she died. She didn't know if she was going to be alone when she died or if she would be alone forever after she died.

Ren seem to notice when his sister began to pull into herself farther, frowning as he watched her shoulders shake. She was terrified, he could see it. She didn't want to die any more than she did almost two years ago. She had already had so much surgery to try and fix everything, all the damage sustained from her injuries from the crash. He could still see all the scars on her face, all of them hidden by make-up. While no else one sees them, he knew where each and every one was.

"Hey, shh... Calm down..." Pulling his sister close, Ren placed his chin on his sister's head, rubbing her back and smoothing down her hair. Perhaps he shouldn't have snapped like that.

"Yoko, please calm down. She told me that the operation will fix everything that's wrong." He felt it the second Ryoko tensed in his arms, her entire body going ridged at his words.

"W-what operation?!" What was he talking about! She wasn't told about any surgery! Her tears started to fall anew, staining her face and making the base make-up run.

"I don't want to have another surgery, Ren!" Frowning, Ren used his thumb to wipe away the tears, trying to shush his sister back to calm.

"It'll be the last one and then you'll be all better. Okay Yoko? Just this one last surgery, but you need an organ." Oh no, there's that panicked look again. He hated that look. Tightening his grip, Ren shifted so that he was leaning against the wall and his sister was leaning against him.

"An organ? What organ! I feel fine Aniki!" She was shaking. She was terrified. He really needed to learn to say everything before he let her cut in.

"Aniki... I... I'm scared Aniki..." Looking down at Ryoko, Ren frowned and brushed her hair out of her face. He didn't like when this was going.

"I'm scared I won't wake up this time Aniki..." Staring at her in shock, Ren hugged her tighter, rocking her as she shook.

"You will! Don't think like that Yoko." Smoothing his sister's hair down, Ren curled over her as he hugged her. He couldn't believe that she was afraid of this, not after all the successful surgeries she had been through. But then again, he shouldn't think like that since there always was that risk of her not waking up.

"It's your appendix, Yoko. Your appendix needs to be removed." Swallowing nervously, Ryoko turned her head and tilted it up, keeping her ear pressed against Ren's chest, listening to the steady beating of her brother's heart.

"Th-that's all?" Nodding, Ren smiled softly at Ryoko, letting his arms fall till the rested at the small of her back, giving her room to move away if she wanted to. Stepping back, Ryoko sniffed and wiped at her eyes as she looked up at Ren.

"Will you... Will you be there when I wake up?" Smiling, Ren nuzzled the crown of his sister's head.

"Yes, and Kai will be there too." Pulling her back into a hug, Ren smiled sadly.

"I didn't mean to snap, but you're my baby sister and the only family that I have left." Hugging her brother back, Ryoko sighed as the tension left them both.

"Okay... I'm sorry for being a jerk Aniki." Smiling, she squeezed her brother tighter, happy that this argument didn't end with them angry with each other for days.

"It's fine Imoto." Sticking her tongue out at her brother, Ryoko laughed when he licked her nose in response, squealing as he tickled her. Laughing, Ryoko broke away from Ren, laughing and holding her sides. Catching her breath, Ryoko smiled nervously at Ren from a few steps down the stairs.

"So... You're not mad about... About the fact that I never told you?" Shaking his head to move his hair out of his eyes, Ren smirked at his sister as he passed her on the stairs.

"Yes, I am not mad." Looking after her brother, Ryoko blinked in confusion, his words not making any sense. Looking up, she called after her brother.

"Wait... what? You're not making any sense again Aniki." Coming to rest at the foot of the stairs, Ryoko looked at her brother's back as he picked his jacket up from where he had left it the night before. Slipping it on, he grabbed his keys and cell phone from the bowl, not bothering to turn around as he answered his sister.

"Nevermind. I have to get a hold of Alliena." Sighing, Ryoko ringed her hands nervously. Might as well let it all out in the air now since they had already argued and had cooled off.

"Aniki... H-how mad would you be if I told you that Kai and I have been dating since... Before Mom and Dad died...?" Looking up at her brother's back, Ryoko gaped as he waved and rushed out the door.

"... Idiot..." Grabbing her bag from the banister and her phone from the table, she rushed out after him, locking the door behind her.

"Aniki! Wait up!" Turning from the door, Ryoko groaned when she noticed that Ren was no where in sight.

"UGH! Damn you Ren! You're going to make me late again!" Turning away from the Suzuki house, Ryoko took off down the side walk, running to meet up with Kai at Card Capital. Sparing a glance at the time, Ryoko grimaced.

"Damn it! I'm late!" She blindly turned the corner to Card Capital, panting as the adrenaline in her system began to die down.

"Kai's going to be so mad! I left him with only Moirkowa to keep him - opff!" She wasn't paying attention as she turned the corner, her eyes closed just long enough for her to quite literally run into someone.

"Ah! My Oracles!" The stranger lunged forward as Ryoko fell back on her ass, grabbing her spilt deck from the side walk.

"Libra!" Brushing her hair back, Ryoko felt something smack her in the face, just under where her hand rested on her hair line. Blinking at the far too close card, Ryoko picked the card up from its landing place. Maiden of Libra. Huh. Didn't Ren have this card for a while just a few days ago? Looking up at the card's left hand corner, Ryoko's eyes widen as she saw the tell tale bend in the card that Ren always made on a new card. Yep, this was one of Ren's cards all right.

"My Avatar." Looking up at the girl she had run into, Ryoko sheepishly handed the card back over, blushing and rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. Standing back up, she smiled and bowed.

"I don't think she likes me too much. I'm so sorry about running into you Ms...?" The girl smiled at her, waving it off.

"It's fine. Are you all right?" Smiling, Ryoko dusted off the back of her skirt.

"Yeah. I'm still sorry. I was in such a hurry to get to Card Capital I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Glancing down the street, Ryoko sighed as she saw the sign for the card shop just a little ways down.

"Actually, I'm on my way there right now. I have to remind Toshiki-kun about our practice fights." Looking at the girl in surprise, Ryoko lowered her hand down to her side, tilting her head to the side in confusion. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

"Wow, that's kinda awkward that we're both on our way to Card Capital to meet up with a Toshiki. I'm actually on my way to meet up with my boyfriend since I finally convinced him into duelling me the other day." Chuckling nervously, Ryoko smiled at the girl, unsure of herself now.

She got a smile in return.

"Yeah, he told me about that. I'm Alliena by the way. Suzuki Alliena." Looking at Alliena in surprise, Ryoko smiled back, feeling a little better about this conversation.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ryoko. Suzugamori Ryoko." Smiling, Ryoko held her hand out, hearing the thick Romanian accent in Alliena's voice.

"Pleased to meet you." She took Ryoko's hand in hers, a soft smile on her face as they introduced themselves.

"Ally-chan!" Both of them turned toward the voice, Ryoko smiling and waving at her boyfriend's friend as he ran up to them. What she didn't expect was Morikowa to kiss Alliena. Or for Alliena to knee Morikowa in the gut then slap him.

Then next thing that Alliena said was in Romanian, causing both Morikowa and Ryoko to look at her, confused, even though it was probably along the lines of 'What the fuck!' She promptly spit in the closest bush and walked into Card Capital. Looking at Morikowa, Ryoko shrugged when he help his hands up in confusion before following her inside.

"Umm... Suzuki-san... What did you just say?" Ryoko spared a glance at the reddening mark in the brunette's face as she side stepped the shop owner, waving at Misaki as she passed by the counter. She had heard from her friend what to do if her uncle tried to talk to her and she had met the man a few times when she had walked Misaki to work before heading home.

"Hey Tokora." Alliena waved and smiled at Misaki before turning to answer Ryoko.

"I said 'What the fuck'." Nodding, Ryoko glared at Morikowa out of the corner of her eye, seeing his wandering hand moving closer to her. He was in either a daring mood or suicidal with her boyfriend just a hand full of steps away.

"Hey Toshiki-kun." Looking away from Morikowa, Ryoko smiled at her boyfriend, her fingers twisting the heavy ring on her left hand. She was still unused to the wieght or feel of it, and often found herself reaching for a necklace that no longer hung from her neck.

"Morikowa, I highly suggest that you sit down." Alliena growled gently at the bruntte, already upset with him for what he did outside the shop. Glancing at he ghost white brunette, Ryoko furrowed her brow in confusion. She was sure that she had already fended him off, so what was Alliena growling at him for?

That was, until she felt his ice cold hand against her ass.

Squeaking, she turned around, her face bright red. Growling, she glowered at him before slapping him on the opposite side of his face as Alliena. She couldn't believe him! Pulling her skirt back down from where he had raised it, Ryoko moved to scream at him until Alliena grabbed his ear and started to drag him out of the store, cursing at him in Romanian.

"You pig! You ass! Leave me and Toshiki's girlfriend alone you perv!" Blinking in surprise as Alliena walked back in after throwing Morikowa out of the store, Ryoko lowered her hand as she smiled thankfully at the black haired girl.

"Thank's Suzuki-chan." Giving her a toothy smile, Ryoko turned to Kai, tilting her head to the side when she saw that his head was bowed and his shoulders were shaking.

"Toshiki-koi?" Alliena seemed to notice as well.

"Toshiki-san?" Looking over at Alliena, Ryoko glanced at the door then at Kai, silently asking if she thought that what just happened had caused this. Noticing a smirk on Alliena's face, Ryoko watched as she walked over and leaned on the wall next to the table.

"Toshiki-san, Ren set your deck on fire and he took your secret thing of Ryo's you have." Looking at Alliena, Ryoko frowned as she tried to piece together what she was trying to do. Angering Kai would just make everything worse for all parties involved.

"He WHAT!" Flinching at Kai's shout, Ryoko winced as the chair scrapped loudly over the floor of the card shop, Kai standing up.

"That's worse than Morikowa touching my love's ass!" He glared down at the table at first before looking up.

"Damn... Oh son of a... Ally-Sempai!" Looking between to two, Ryoko smoothed her hands over her skirt, feeling Misaki's gaze on them. Turning her head and smiling, she gave a small wave to show that everything was okay. Turning back to Alliena, Ryoko worried her lip before piping up.

"And how would you know about that Alliena-chan?" She giggled in response.

"I could personally care less. Your brother betrayed my trust and I came to tell Toshiki-kun a message from Tetsu-san. Practice, the tournament is this weekend." Groaning, Ryoko gave Alliena an apologetic smile. Her brother really was a fool. Maybe a love sick fool too. Turning to walk out, Alliena waved at Misaki.

"See you soon Tokora-chan." Misaki waved as she left, going back to her book once everything settled back down.

"Oh man... Aniki really pissed her off didn't he?" Turning back to Kai, Ryoko giggled at the blush staining his cheeks. It didn't surprise her that his outburst embarrassed him more than what his friend did.

"She's making him feel guilty." Kai chuckled, looking up from the table, even with his face stained red. "Best way to beat a guy down."

Giggling behind her hand, Ryoko pulled out something that she had taken from her brother before he could realise it.

"I think he was going to give this to her today too. He left in such a big hurry that he never realised that I still had it." Placing the card down, Ryoko set her bag down over the back of the chair, pulling her deck box off her belt. Honestly, she was surprised it didn't fall off like Alliena's did when she crashed into her.

"Wow, CEO Ameterasu huh?" A smile was on Kai's face, but she could see that he didn't believe that it was a real gift from what Ren had said.

"Yeah. He freaked out really bad when I threatened to burn it. That, and the whole, who owns what type of pyjama and where they're from or are... er..." Looking at the brunette, Ryoko waited for a reaction to what she had just said.

"Pj's? Ryo, you didn't." She felt the burning heat of her blush as Kai looked up and laughed. Yes, yes she had. And she had gotten quiet the tongue lashing for it too.

"I did. But it was an accident, I swear!" Bowing her head, she tried to hide in her curtain of hair. It was so mortifying to tell her boyfriend that she had let it slip about the pyjamas and now she needed to ask something else of him.

"Would you mind if I stayed with you tonight? I really don't want to go back to that awkward silence I got earlier." Really, she didn't want to be in the same house as her brother after what he had found out earlier. That, and she wanted to ask Kai about something a little more private.

"I guess. I mean, I'll need to get up early anyway. Besides, Ally is going to be at Tetsu's unless Ren fixes shit with her." Giving Kai a beaming smile, Ryoko kissed his cheek, giving him a coy smile before sitting down, pulling out her deck from the box. Kai sat down on the other side of the table, setting his deck up on the mat with a smile.

"Ready Ryo?" Grinning back, Ryoko nodded.

"Ready." Flipping her Stand card over, she tried to ignore the growing crowd of customers that was watching them. It was almost as if they had never seen a Vanguard battle before even though she was sure that they were everyday occurrence by the number of Vanguard decks that she saw.

"Ride the Vanguard!" Kai shouted, causing Ryoko to jump in surprise. She really did forget sometimes that her boyfriend really got into the game, just as much as her brother did, if not more. Something that she shared with him on a calmer level.

"Ride the Vanguard." Revealing _Zephyr Kid, Hayate_, Ryoko smiled at Kai, motioning for him to make the first move. She was a little rusty in her opinion.

"Ladies first, Love." Kai smiled back, making a blush erupt over his girlfriend's face. Looking down at her hand as she drew another card, Ryoko scanned over the level zero, one, two, and threes she had. It wasn't a half bad hand either.

"I ride _Red River Dragoon_, and I call _Dragon Dancer, RaiRai_ and _Desert Gunner, Raien_ to the rear guard." Placing her hand down next to her hip, Ryoko smiled up at Kai. "Your turn Koi."

Kai drew and looked at his hand before making his move.

"I ride the _Embodiment of Armor, Bahr_ and I call _Dragon Dancer, Monica_. With Assistance from Monica, Bahr attacks your Vanguard." Drawing her top card for a damage trigger, Ryoko blinks in surprise and smirks as she reveals the heal trigger she had drawn.

"Guess that's no damage for me." Placing the card in her drop zone, the redhead smiled. That was a lucky draw for sure.

"Lame time to get it but your move Love. You get no damage this time." Grinning, Ryoko drew a card as she looked at the field. Well, this could be a lot worse then it was.

"I ride _Demonic Dragon Berserker, Garuda_." Dropping another _Desert Gunner, Raien_ onto her rear guard, Ryoko looked up at Kai and smirked.

"Garuda attacks your Vanguard." He blocked with two Aermos'. Sighing, Ryoko looked up from the field as Kai dropped both Aermos' into his drop zone.

"Well, there went that turn." Shaking his head, Kai draw another card.

"I ride the _Dragon Knight, Nehalem_." Kai laid the card down and called two _Flame of Hope, Aermo_s' to the rear guard, then attacked Ryoko's Vanguard. Ryoko responded by sacrificing one of her Desert Gunners and her Dragon Dancer to protect her Vanguard and not take a damage.

For most of the following two hours, the battle revolved around them attacking each other, their vigour for the duel growing with each move. Their audience grew as more customers came in, even the owner coming over to see what had caused all of his customers to crowd around one table. Both of them looked at each other in surprise when they realised that they had five damage each, both of their avatars - _Dragonic Overlord The End _and _Dark Goddess Kali_ - in play.

"Well then. Looks like we're both on the edge, Ryo-koi." Humming, Ryoko looked over her hand and at her cards on the field. If she played this next move right, she could end the battle. She had Kali and Thunderstorm Dragoon while Kai had Dragonic Overlord and Dragon Knight, Nehalem.

"It seems so." Drawing a card, Ryoko placed a Raien in her rear guard before going in for the end strike.

"With the assistance of Thunderstorm Dragoon, Kali attacks your Vanguard!" Checking the first of her twin drive, Ryoko showed Kai the blank card then bit her tongue as Kai drew for a drive trigger.

She watched as Kai drew for a trigger, hope lighting his eyes as he looked for a trigger, but no luck this time. Smirking, she drew again, showing a Critical Trigger that she really didn't need. That earned her a smile as he placed his sixth damage into his damage zone.

"Well, you win." Laughing, Ryoko put her hand down - a hand full of ones - and smiled as the crowd started to whisper, saying that Kai must have gone easier on her. Glancing at them, Ryoko frowned as they continued to whisper before Kai spoke, chuckling and causing a few people to stare in abject horror or shock.

"So, what did you win?" Eyes alight, Ryoko stepped to the other side of the table, a grin stretching across her face.

"I do believe that I won my boyfriend's time for the rest of today. Does that sound fair?" Now they were really staring, especially the black haired middle school student who had been standing behind her. Kai chuckles and stood from his chair, walking around to meet her halfway.

"Lets give them something to really stare at, hm?" Laughing as he picked her up under her knees and set her down on the table, Ryoko brought her arms up around his neck as he kissed her. Smiling into the kiss, she squeaking in surprise as he deepened it, her cheeks starting to stain red as the whispered either died down or turned into cries of outrage. Pulling back for breath, Kai looked at the stunned crowd, chuckling as they stared unabashedly.

"That's right, this lovely lady is dating me, so back off." Wrapping an arm possessively around her waist, Kai glared at some of the guys who went to school with him and a few junior high kids that seemed to think that they still had a chance.

"She's out of your league and her brother will rip you all to shreds if you try anything funny. Got it?" Flushing darker, Ryoko lightly punched Kai in the shoulder, even though she knew Ren would do exactly that. They backed away quickly, either in fear of her brother or Kai's cold glare.

Or both, there was always the possibility that they didn't want to find out who her brother was and that they had a healthy fear of Kai himself.

Yelping in surprise when Kai picked her up off the table - her deck and his deck stowed away in her purse, which he had slung over his shoulder - Ryoko wrapped her arms around his neck for the support that his arms didn't give. Smiling and waving good-bye to Misaki, Ryoko pushed to door open with her left arm and held it open with her foot as they left, Kai holding onto her as he continued down the street.

"Sorry about that. I was getting tired of them staring at us love." Smiling, Ryoko just laid her head against his collar bone, her fingers playing with the hairs on the back of his neck. Looking down at his girlfriend, Kai sighed as he brought up their mutual friend Alliena and Ryoko's brother.

"I think you should talk to Alliena-chan about Ren... We need her for the tournament as our fourth member." Nodding, Ryoko smirked. Oh, she could do more than that. If she played her cards right, she could not only get the team back together, she could get her brother to stop moping around.

"No problem. I'll talk to her.. well, when I go home." Smiling, Kai nuzzled her head, making her giggle.

"You're a life saver baby." Laughing, Ryoko smiled up at her boyfriend.

"Don't worry, I don't think that she's _that_ mad." Seeing Kai's slightly confused face, Ryoko giggled as she brushed a few stray stands of hair out of his face, kissing his cheek.

"I mean, she stayed in my presence even though I could pass off as Ren's gender-bent double." Kai arched an eyebrow but didn't say anything about her choice of comparison, mostly because it was true. A lot of people who wanted to duel Ren thought that Ryoko was him and tried to battle 'him', until she either turned around or either Kai or Ren drove them off.

"Alliena-sempai doesn't anger easily but your brother did it." Snorting, Ryoko looked ahead as she answered.

"My brother can be an absolute idiot at times. He thought that I had school today." Kai looked at her like she had grown a second head, a look similar to what she had given Ren this morning.

"He called me Miwa, and he's been a wreck ever since Ally-chan left." That was... No, that sounded like Ren. She swore that he must have hit his head in the crash because it sure did seem like he had brain damage when he was depressed.

"You don't say? He wouldn't talk to me at all, not even when I threatened not to feed him." Kai looked at her for that comment. Ren, threatened not to be fed and still not responding? This really must be bothering him. He lived to eat, especially if Ryoko cooked.

"The only thing that got him talking was me slapping him this morning." Wincing, Kai felt for Ren now. Ryoko had a mean left hook, something he had only witnessed and not been on the receiving end of, but Miwa had left with a broken nose and a cracked cheek bone. And neither Ren nor Kai had lain a hand on him.

"Mhm. I see... And threatening to burn CEO Amaterosu." That got him a smile. Oh yes, Ryoko was definitely a pyro at heart.

"Yeah... Sorry that he called you Miwa." Giving Kai an apologetic smile, Ryoko hugged him as best she could, apologising on her brother's behalf.

"Eh... Miwa is a friend." Stopping, Kai carefully set his girlfriend down on her feet, kissing her forehead.

"I gotta get home before my Aunt freaks. She's leaving for a month so I'll see you soon." Nodding, Ryoko pressed a kiss to his cheek before he ran off, trying to get home before his aunt had a heart attack. Smiling, Ryoko reached to her side to pull out her phone, ready to tell her brother that she was going home and would try to smooth things over with Alliena.

Problem was, she didn't have her purse.

No purse meant no phone. No purse meant no deck.

No purse meant that she was locked out of her own house.

"Hey! Toshiki! Wait! You still have my purse!" Following Kai's path, Ryoko turned the corner she had watched him turn, groaning when she didn't see him. Grumbling, she continued down the side walk until Morikowa stopped her. Taking a few breaths to calm down, Ryoko greeted the brunette.

"Hey Morikowa..." Stiffening as he hugged her from behind, Ryoko eyed Morikowa's hands before managing to turn around and hug him back. No matter how much a pervert he was, she would always forgive him in the end.

At least, until he did something again.

So when he kissed her and grabbed her ass, Ryoko was not the happiest of campers. She was going to clock him across the face for this. He had just heard her calling for her boyfriend! Not even when Alliena grabbed Morikowa by his hair and threw him did she feel any better, even as she scrubbed at her lips with the back of her hand.

"Morikowa!" She was so angry and embarrassed! She thought that he head caught the drift when she had given Miwa a clock across the face. Her face was attempting to match her hair, probably very noticeable under her make-up.

"Ah, Alliena-chan..." Alliena was growling at Morikowa, standing over him and looking fit to commit murder.

"If you wanna be able to have kids, I suggest that you get your ass home you twerp." Even though it was funny, Ryoko felt bad for Morikowa as he scrambled away in fear, running away from Alliena. Giggling at Morikowa's terrified look - she needed to find out what she looked like because it looked lie it would come in handy - Ryoko turned to Alliena, smiling.

"Thank you again. Sometimes I wonder why I even give him a chance to redeem himself." Alliena smiled back as she answered.

"Honestly, he's worse than Miwa used to be." Trying not to giggle, Ryoko smiled back. Oh, if ony Alliena knew why Miwa wasn't the way he was any more.

"Though Morikowa knows when to stop... Most of the time." Looking down the street, Ryoko sighed when she realized that Kai was probably already home.

"Looks like I can't go home for a while..." Alliena tilted her head to the side, confused.

"Why? I know a short cut." Chuckling, Ryoko shook her head.

"That's great and all, but Toshiki has my purse. And my keys and cell phone are in that." Rubbing the back of her head, Ryoko grinned.

"I'm sure you're staying with him, so you'll get it." Alliena giggled and started to walk down the street. Following, Ryoko kept pace with the Romanian, heading deeper into town.

"Yeah, but Aniki's going to freak out when he tries to call me. Which reminds me..." Stopping in front of Alliena, Ryoko looked up at the slightly taller girl, her smile gone.

"What did my brother say that has you so angry?" Alliena looked away, crossing her arms over her chest, looking away from Ryoko, frowning.

"He told Tetsu and Kai about something that I don't tell anyone." Sighing, Ryoko's shoulder's dropped as she rubbed her temples. She always got a headache when trying to deal with her brother and his problems.

"I'm guessing that it has something to do with your family?" Looking at Alliena between her fingers, Ryoko frowned and groaned when she nodded.

"Yeah." Rubbing her temples, Ryoko took a few deep breaths to keep herself calm. She was going to seriously maim her brother one day.

"Sorry. My brother never really was the sharpest or brightest crayon of the box, but he means well. I don't think that the accident helped either..." Alliena didn't looked convinced. In fact, she looked angrier.

"He told the about the murder of my parents! I trusted him." Frowing, Ryoko glared up at Alliena, crossing her arms and digging her nails into her forearms.

"Did her tell you that our parents died just under two years ago?" Stepping closer, Ryoko growled at the black haired girl. At least she had someone there for her still. She had her grandmother. Her and Ren? They were on their own, all of their family was dead.

"Did he tell you that he has scars all over him or that all of the money he makes from the tournaments he wins go straight to paying for my medical bills?" Wiping the make-up off her face, Ryoko glared up at Alliena, furious at her.

"Ren, my Aniki, he works his ass off to pay for all of my doctor's visits, for both of our school supplies, the bills, and still manages to not look like he's four times his age!" Pulling CEO Amaterosu out of her deck box, Ryoko threw it at Alliena.

"I can't believe that he was going to give this to you! Take it! I don't care any more! You're not the only one that has it hard!" Turning away, Ryoko froze when she saw Ren.

He was staring at them. She knew that he had heard everything, just by the look in his eyes. Looking away, Ryoko closed her eyes in shame. She had just shamed her brother.

"Gomen'nasai _(1)_ Aniki... I hope that you can fix things will Suzuki-san." Turning away, Ryoko wiped the rest of the make-up away, showing her scars off. Looking at Alliena, she looked away when she saw the shock in her eyes.

"Gomen'nasai Suzuki-san... I hope that you and Aniki can work things out." Glancing at Ren one last time, Ryoko took off down the street, letting her feet take her anywhere, any place that wasn't where Ren and Alliena was.

She hoped that Kai's aunt had left for her month long trip already. She didn't want to give the poor woman a heart attack.

She just really wanted Kai.

Grabbing his sister's arm, Ren stopped her before she could get very far. Pulling her back, Ren frowned at her. He thought that she knew better than to run away from her problems.

"Too bad I do! You have no idea where I came from and how hard I fight to live!"Alliena was fighting back tears, even from where he stood over ten feet away, Ren could see it. She was thinking about her dying grandmother.

"You don't know the family I have nor the family I had!" Allinea felt a phantom pain in her stomach, like her scars were open and burning. Glaring at the red haired duo, she snarled at them both.

"I'm done here." Turning on her heel, Alliena started to walk home.

"Alliena! Alliena, wait!" Calling after the black haired girl, Ren pulled his sister along behind him, Ryoko trying to get away from him and his iron grip on her upper arm.

"Lemme go Aniki!"

* * *

_(1) I'm Sorry_


	5. The Honest Pt 2 of 3

_HIIIII~ Okay, heads up. Im going to try and keep up with this story, another story for Homestuck, my school work, and my other school work. I'm also the only crew member for my school's production of RENT so i will be slow... well, slowER than usual. But i shall try to keep up with Ally._

( ) = Japanese

{ } = Romanian

_Enjoy~!_

_I do not own CARDFIGHT! Vanguard_

* * *

"Lemme go Aniki!"

Alliena held her stomach, her facial expression looking pained as she looked back toward when Ren and Ryoko were having their miniature tug of war with Ryoko's arm. She felt as though her scars were being picked apart and having salt rubbed into them.

"I can't. I'm sorry." She turned to walk away, but Kai stopped her. He gently grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop.

Ryoko looked at Alliena and Kai, turning her gaze away quickly. Now she really was stuck in the hole she had dug herself. And it just kept getting deeper and deeper.

"Alliena..." Ren looked so pitiful, his face so contorted in emotional pain. Ryoko bit her lip, knowing that both of them were at fault for the expression on her brother's face.

"Turn around and go back right now Alliena." The brunette leaned over Alliena's shoulder, whispering in her ear. Alliena pulled her arm out of his grip and turned on her heel, walking back over to a wall. Leaning against the wall, Alliena put her heel up against the wall, crossing her arms and waited.

Looking over at Kai, Ryoko tried not to appear as if she thought he was crazy. Ren, however, noticed and looked between his sister and his best friend, confused. Something was up.

"You want me to go over to the same person that I just screamed at? Are you insane?" Whispering, Ryoko spoke to her boyfriend as he came over to where they stood. This was not going to end well for anyone, was he crazy?!

"You two need to talk it out and Yoko." Looking up, Ryoko flinched as he took off the necklace that she had given him.

"Work it out, or take this back." Flinching, Ryoko looked at the gold pendent, her eyes becoming cloudy as she remembered the day that their grandparents gave them the matching set. Her's was gold while Ren's was silver. A matching set for the near identical siblings.

"Toshiki! That's harsh!" Looking over at Alliena's shout, Ryoko swallowed as she nodded. She shouldn't have expected anything nicer than that anyway.

"Kai, that is harsh..." Glancing at Ren, Ryoko gave her brother a small smile, giving him a silent sign that it was okay. Neither of them should ever expect anything kinder than what Kai was doing right now.

"It has to be done. I will not have the girl I love and my friend fight." Kai was firm with his statement. They were going to get along, whether they want to or not. Alliena scoffed at the idea. It was obvious that they were going to butt heads on everything.

"Look, none of you would understand my past so why care?" Looking at Ally, Ryoko shook Rens hand off, crossing her arms over her bosom.

"It's hard to when you hide it." Frowning Ren watched the scene unfold before him. He didn't like any of it. Looking up, Alliena snorted, looking down the street as she spoke.

"Because I have my reasons for not telling. It's my past, I don't want pity or people to feel sorry for me." Growling, Kai slammed her into the wall she was leaning on.

"Really?! You think I pity you?! You think Ren pities you?!" Grabbing Kai's hand, Ryoko carefully took the brunette's hand within her own, trying to calm him down.

"Toshiki, stop it." Alliena reacted in kind, kicking Kai in the gut hard enough to send him flying into the wall.

"You bitch!" Kai glowered at the raven, snarling. Going over to her boyfriend, Ryoko quickly knelt down, wiping the blood away from his lip that he had bit through. Ren growled at Alliena as well, taking on the same disposition as a tiger backed into a corner.

"Why would I pity you! Do you pity me and my sister because we're on our own?!" Standing between Alliena and his best friend and his sister, Ren hunched over slightly, as though he was a tigeress protecting her cubs.

Looking at the red haired teen, Alliena frowned.

"No. I pity no one." Walking away, Alliena stalked away as quickly as she could. Looking at his girlfriend in surprise, Ren started after her.

"Alliena! Alliena, stop!" Glancing back, Alliena took off toward her home.

"Let her go Ren." Standing up, Kai held his stomach as Ryoko helped him up, standing by him to help him should he become unbalanced.

"Toshiki..." Looking back in the direction that Alliena had left, Ren sighed.

"What?" Closing her eyes, Ryoko sighed, rubbing her head as she warded off a headache. They all turned as an ambulance sped by them.

"Alliena's going to be really upset now..." Turning to his friend, Ren carefully stood on the opposite side of his sister.

"You okay Kai?" Wincing, Kai held his stomach where Alliena kicked him earlier.

"No, you hear those sirens?" Eyes wide, Ren takes off, running as fast as he can. He cared for Alliena's grandmother like she was his own. Looking at Kai, Ryoko worried her bottom lip.

"I hope Suzuki-bāchan(1) is okay..." She had a bad feeling that those sirens where heading toward the Suzuki house. Looking at his red haired girlfriend, Kai placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"I'm sure she's fine. I don't think that the call was for her..." Looking up at the brunette, Ryoko nodded, uncertain.

"Sure. And you can thank Tetsu for me not believing you this time." The comment earned her a smirk.

"Well, then let's go!" Taking off down the street, Kai replaced the necklace to its previous position around his neck. Shaking her head, Ryoko took off after him, passing him in a few minutes, proving why the girls track team wanted her.

* * *

Running up to her grandmother's house, Alliena tensed up when she saw an ambulance outside of the house.

"No... Bunică{2}!" Pushing her way past the paramedics, Ally let out a wordless shriek at her grandmother's unmoving body. Grabing her grandmother's hand, Alliena spoke to her grandmother,moving with the paramedics and climbing into the EVAC.

"Bunica, te rog nu mă lăsa în pace ..." {3}

* * *

Tetsu was waiting at the hospital, holding onto Alliena as she struggled against him. Really, he was supposed to have left hours ago, his volunteer shift being a long one after school.

And he was exhausted now, though most wouldn't be able to tell with his unwavering gaze and strength. But he was tired. He had just gone through a double shift - it would have been a triple is Ratchet hadn't put her foot down and told him to go home and sleep -and now he was playing orderly again.

"Tetsu! No! Let me go!" She was struggling again, trying to force her way out of his grip. "She's all I've got left!"

Looking over to the doors, Tetsu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ren and Ryoko run in, Kai close behind. Ryoko waved at Ratchet as the raven haired woman ran into the emergency room that Alliena's grandmother was in. Ren waved too, but his was more nervous than anything. Running over to Alliena and Tetsu, Ryoko took Ally's flailing hands within her own.

"Alliena, you need to calm down."

"Ally-chan, please calm down." Alliena growled at both of them, finally ripping away from Tetsu and snatching her hands out of the redhead's grip.

"Get away from me! That's all the family I have left!" Alliena growled out at the three of them.

"Alliena, stop." Looking over at Kai, Ally glowered at the brunette. She was about to scream at him when Ratchet came up behind them.

"Young lady, you stop this right now!" Jumping, Ren hid behind his sister and Tetsu, terrified of Ratchet when she pissed off. Wincing, Ryoko grabbed Ally's hands again.

"Alliena, you have to calm down. Panicking and acting out on anger isn't going to help your Obāchan." Ren quickly hide behind Kai after his sister moved over to Ally.

"Smart move. Lets uh... Back away." Both of them began to back away from Tetsu, the two girls and Ratchet. Ratchet, however, got slammed into the wall of her hospital by Ally, the Raven haired girl's eyes aflame with anger.

"If she dies, you're next! AM I CLEAR?! THAT IS MY FAMILY! THE ONLY ONE I HAVE!" Looking nervously down at the girl in his arms, Tetsu tried not to flinch at her shriek.

"Ally... Please calm down.." Looking at her friend and doctor, Ryoko left Alliena's side.

"Ms. Ratchet!" Turning back to Alliena, Ryoko growled at the ravenette, her face covered in shadow and dark intent. "YOU STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

"Omph!" Sliding down the wall Ratchet let her body fall, forcing her body to remain lax until she came to a full stop in the floor. Standing back up, the doctor dusted her person off quickly before snapping at her red haired patient.

"Ryoko, calm down." Looking between the two raven haired women, Ren could only mutter under his breath his only thought on the subject.

"Shit..." Looking over as well, Kai quickly grabbed his girlfriend and quietly pulled her outside, stopping to talk to Ren.

"Ren, stop her. You can calm her; she needs you." Nodding, Ren swallowed nervously tiptoed into the fray.

"You shut your god damn mouth!' She growled at Ratchet, balling her hands into fists.

"You don't know what it's like to have your family murdered! Or have the rest of your family turning you away! Then the woman who you haven't seen in 6 years takes you in!" Looking over their shoulders at the scream of rage, the couple stopped outside, Kai turning Ryoko so that she was looking at him.

Tetsu took the opportunity to flee.

* * *

Ratchet took the moment that Ren gave her to go over and do what she could for Suzuki-bāchan. She didn't know if there _was_ anything she could do, but she was going to try damn it!

"She can't leave me Ren. I'll have no one left... No family." Rubbing her back, Ren shushed her, trying to calm her. He knew that this was going to be hard, he could see Ratchet trying things that she never did unless it was her last resorts.

"Shh..."

* * *

"Yelling at her will do nothing." He spoke as though she was a disobedient child, but the fear was evident in his eyes. He was scared. Scared that he was going to lose his friend and his girlfriend. Flinching away, Ryoko took a few steps away from the brunette.

This never had happened before. No one had ever spoken to her like that since she was ten, and at that point, it had been her Oji Gozaburo(4). Seeing the surprise and haunted look in her red eyes, Kai felt the need to clarify what he meant. Pulling her into a hug, he held her, petting her hair.

"You need to be a friend." Nodding, Ryoko composed herself as best as she could, forcing her memories away for now.

Going back inside, Ryoko put her poker face in place, her face devoid of the fear and anger from before. She could do this, even if she really didn't want to. Kai gave her one quick reassuring smile, urging her onward. Turning to Alliena and her brother, Ryoko put a reason behind her step. She was going to prove to this girl that she wasn't the only one alone in the world, even if it was the only thing that they both got out of this. There was many other things they could earn, but both of them were too bull headed to see them.

"You're right Alliena, I don't know what its like. But I know what its like to lose your only supports."

* * *

( ) = Japanese

{ } = Romanian

(1) Grandma

{2} Grandma

{3} Grandmother, please don't leave me alone...

(4) Uncle Gozaburo


End file.
